Ezra Upstead
Ezra Summer Upstead was born on 21st June 2090 in London, England. He is currently in Year 6 at St. Woboldo's Primary School, and is due to start his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in September 2101. Ezra is the third, and only non-multiple, child of Becca and Jake Upstead. He is preceded by fraternal twins, Nem and Pax, and is the older brother of identical twins, Jonah and Jackson, and quadruplets, Hunter, Leigh, Mason, and Charlie. Ezra lives with his family in Godric's Hollow. Personality and Key Characteristics Ezra is perhaps the quietest of his full siblings, generally preferring to keep to himself. He is not against spending time with other people, but simply prefers to sit in silence more often than run around playing games, or even just talking. He is eager to learn, and finds it easiest when he is left alone to read and explore, otherwise he cannot adequately concentrate. Soft and with a gentle nature, to some Ezra presents as quite an easy target (although, when bullies try to physically push him around, they are often surprised by the fact that Ezra can easily handle himself, having been instructed in karate and self-defence from a young age). With his quietness, softness, and unobtrusive nature, Ezra can be easily overlooked at times, especially at home, but this does not bother him at all. Ezra has the tendency to be very blunt and straightforward when he talks to others, and is generally very honest. However, this doesn't mean he doesn't keep secrets or withhold the truth every now and then, he is just more likely to not say anything at all than to outright lie. He can be slightly awkward around other people, especially children, unless his interest has been piqued. If the topic of conversation moves to something he is interested in, he becomes more animated and at ease, even a little overenthusiastic. Ezra has the tendency to switch to a new topic of conversation whenever a new thought enters his head, often confusing the person he's talking to, as they might not see how the points of conversation are linked. He is not generally aware of what topics are inappropriate for conversation and, as such, can make others feel awkward or uncomfortable, while remaining oblivious to the situation. While most of his peers pick on him for this and his other idiosyncrasies, or simply ignore him, some find it endearing, and others are struck by an inclination to try and protect him, so he has managed to make a handful of friends despite his social skill shortcomings. Ezra frequently develops new interests - bordering on obsessions - sometimes long-lasting, and sometimes brief, but always to the same high intensity. These can be books, individual characters from books, historical periods or figures, creatures, toys, hobbies, anything at all. Every time he develops a new interest, he becomes fully invested in it, and it is likely to take over his personality and behaviour until he switches to the next one (though some never fade at all). Because of his many varied interests over the years, Ezra has gathered a lot of general and random pieces of knowledge and trivia relating to a wide range of topics. He generally only has eyes for his current obsession, while his enduring interests (such as his love for certain book series) serve as a source of comfort. Similarly, Ezra hyperfocuses on any task he is currently working on, provided he is interested and initially able to focus on it. This leads him to unintentionally shut everything else out. While Ezra has an eagerness for learning and gathering new information, especially on the topics that interest him, his memory for these facts does not translate to his schoolwork. Ezra wants to be intelligent and do well in school, but struggles a lot, and manages mostly average and below average grades, though he occasionally achieves top marks when his schoolwork overlaps with a special interest. He wanted to be a Ravenclaw like his mother when the time comes for him to go to Hogwarts, but has accepted the fact that he's just not as smart as he would like to be. Ezra has now predicted he will instead be placed in Hufflepuff, like his father, and has accepted and embraced the idea. At the age of seven, Ezra was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. He has the condition in common with his older half-brother and his father. When he was nine, he was diagnosed with depression as well; this controversial early diagnosis took some members of his family by surprise, and so he seldom talks about it with anyone but his healer. Ezra has also inherited his father's extreme sensitivity to processed sugar; consuming enough makes him extremely hyperactive and difficult to settle - which is different enough from his usual behaviour that it's easy to tell when he has done so - before becoming violently ill. He is also lactose intolerant, and sensitive to gluten. Ezra's diet is carefully monitored for these reasons. Oftentimes, Ezra can be heard to hum, though always in a long and continuous, toneless note, rather than with a melody or in an attempt to be musical. He does this in various situations, though the volume and intensity depend on context; when he is sad, it is quiet and sometimes unobtrusive, and when he becomes distressed, it gets louder and impossible to ignore. This is generally an early warning sign of an impending meltdown. Because of an incident in the playground in Diagon Alley when he was nine, Ezra is mortally afraid of spiders of all shapes and sizes, living or dead. He also refuses to set foot near any playground without an adult nearby, and refuses to be left to his own devices in Diagon Alley. Interests and Abilities Karate: Ezra was enrolled in karate classes when he was five, alongside his older siblings. He studies the 10 kyū shotokan style, and his particular school does not submit the younger students for grading until it is clear they have mastered the appropriate techniques, to prevent them progressing through the belts before they demonstrate their maturity as well as their ability. Ezra received his brown belt (3rd kyū) in December 2100, and continues to attend gradings. As he comes across as soft, and at times even weak, his karate abilities can come as a surprise to others. Karate training is the only time Ezra is willing to take part in physical activity or even break a sweat. History and Early Life Pre-Life and Early Life Jake Upstead, a Hufflepuff who believed himself to be pureblood, and Becca Parker, a Ravenclaw muggleborn, attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at around the same time, with Becca two years above Jake. Though they knew of each other while they were at school, they were no closer than acquaintances until he was 29 and she was 31, when they were set up on a blind date together. During the date, they hit it off and got along great, and soon entered into a relationship. It was a surprise to both of them when Becca fell pregnant, but they were nevertheless thrilled when she gave birth to twins in April 2088. Ezra's conception was similarly unplanned, but just as welcomed. He was born on 21st June 2090, and named Ezra Summer Upstead, taking his father's surname just as his older siblings had. Just over a month after his birth, on 31st July 2090, Ezra's parents married with all three Upstead children in attendance. The family moved to a house in Godric's Hollow in November that same year. When the twins were enrolled at St. Woboldo's at the age of five, Ezra, aged three, stayed home and was looked after by a nanny. Though he could have been enrolled in the nursery class, his parents held off for a while, feeling that perhaps he would be better prepared for school in a few years. The next year, when Ezra was four, someone new arrived at the house, and she brought a newborn baby with her. The woman was Aslan Evans, and the baby was her son Angelo Milano Evans. She stayed with them for the month of December, and then left, leaving the baby in the care of Jake and Becca. Ezra's parents looked after the baby for the next year. It was during this time that Ezra accidentally gave him the nickname 'Milo', as all attempts at saying his actual name resulted in a garbled 'Anjo Milo'. During the year that Milo stayed with them, Nem, just past their seventh birthday, briefly disappeared in Diagon Alley one day. They turned up unharmed and perfectly non-traumatised, but the fact that they had no memory of where they had been was enough to alarm the children's father. He pulled the twins out of school - as it was located very near to where Nem (and, as it turned out, numerous other children) had disappeared from. Nem and Pax joined Ezra and Milo in being looked after at home by the nanny while Jake and Becca were at work. Around the time Ezra turned five, all three children were enrolled in karate classes and given the chance to go to other clubs in order to socialise with other children, as long as those clubs were nowhere near Diagon Alley. Several months later, at the end of the year, Milo went back to live with his mother. Pre-Hogwarts With Milo now back with his mother, Ezra's parents began discussing the possibility of more children of their own. This time, they decided to adopt. On 3rd March 2097, three year old identical twins Jonah and Jackson were officially adopted into the family, putting Ezra squarely into 'middle child' territory. In September of 2097, when Ezra was seven, he and all four of his siblings were enrolled at St. Woboldo's Primary School (or, in the case of the older twins, re-enrolled), and their father had decided it was most likely safe, and probably for the best. It also meant he didn't have to pay for childcare during the day, which was now an extra expense they couldn't really afford, especially with the option of school available to the children. Ezra joined the school in Year Three. It was a few months after starting school that he properly befriended Arthur Dakest, who was in the same year as him and only a month older; Ezra's father and Arthur's mother had also been friends while at Hogwarts. Ezra and Arthur soon became close, and then best friends. In January 2098, after having been referred for assessment around the time he started at school, Ezra was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder, a condition he shared with his father and, as he would later discover, his older half-brother. Once the Upstead children were at school together, Ezra's sibling, Nem, started being unpleasant to the other students. This seemed to go unnoticed by staff, as Nem was generally subtle and careful not to incriminate themselves, but Ezra often saw. In those early days, Nem tended to pick on other students from outside of the family, and so Ezra pretended to know nothing about it; it was fine as long as he was left alone. In April 2099, shortly before Ezra turned nine, he and all four of his siblings were informed that their mother was pregnant. Not only this, but she would be having not one babies, or two, or even three, but four. Ezra was unsure of how to process this information, but it turned out not to matter. He and the younger twins sat by unobtrusively while the older twins vented their thoughts on the matter. In the last few months of that same school year, Ezra was unlucky enough for Nem to set their sights on him. Where before he had been left well enough alone as long as he never mentioned the bullying he witnessed, now there was no avoiding it. Nem and Pax were only at St. Woboldo's for the next few months before leaving for Hogwarts, and Ezra looked forward to the day they would both leave; though Pax had never been cruel to him, the very presence of the twins had long since begun to unnerve him, both individually and as a pair. At the very end of August, Ezra's mother went into labour. Hunter, Leigh, and Mason were born late at night on 31st August 2099, with Charlie arriving moments later in the first seconds of 1st September. Even when the babies were still at St. Mungo's, home became more hectic than Ezra had ever believed possible, with his parents' time divided between home and the hospital, and eventually work. Once the quadruplets came home, it would be even worse, though Ezra mostly coped by staying out of the way and up in his bedroom; he and his younger brothers were occasionally looked after by various relatives or friends of the family, so that his parents could care for the babies. One day in September after Nem and Pax had left for Beauxbatons (where Hogwarts was being hosted that year), Ezra was out in Diagon Alley with his Uncle Dexter, who was looking after him on his own for the afternoon. Ezra was allowed to run ahead and play in the playground while his uncle ran some errands, but as soon as he got there, he was faced with a horde or Acromantula. He and another child cowered while the creatures advanced on them, and Ezra was wholly convinced he would not get out of the situation alive. They were eventually rescued by his new friend-in-trauma's grandfather, Michael Cambridge, and Apparated to the safety of his home, where Ezra was later collected by his frantic father. It turned out that Ezra's new friend, Emmerson, was the daughter of his father's boss, though Ezra was not in the right state of mind to fully appreciate this connection at the time. Immediately after the incident, Ezra was badly shaken up, and seldom let his parents out of his sight. The mere mention of spiders or Diagon Alley sent him into a complete meltdown, and he was kept home from school for a short period of time. Ezra's father was furious with Dexter, for letting him wander Diagon Alley alone despite his specific instructions to always keep the children in sight when looking after them. Dexter, abashed and discomfited, paid what Ezra's parents could not in order for Ezra to see a private healer without delay. Though the healer was initially employed to help Ezra deal with the trauma of the Acromantula incident (and did in fact make great progress with him on that front), she also recognised signs of his other difficulties, and diagnosed him with depression in December of that same year, noting that he had been struggling with it for at least a year. This revelation came only days after Ezra's youngest brother, Charlie, had been rushed back to St. Mungo's with breathing difficulties, thus beginning a long string of admissions to the hospital, and a myriad of mysterious health issues. With the older twins away at school, Ezra was able to relax slightly, even in the chaos of the Upstead family home. Nem, however, still tormented him during school holidays, particularly by leaving fake spiders where he would see them and panic. Towards the end of Year Five, just before he turned ten, Ezra officially met fellow student Roma Bracken in the St. Woboldo's playground. They got on reasonably well, with Roma being more patient than many of Ezra's peers, and they both had unpleasant experiences with Nem in common. Ezra officially decided to label her a friend. Ezra did his best to make the most of his last year at St. Woboldo's, before he had to leave for Hogwarts - something he was both looking forward to, and wary of. It was somewhat difficult to appreciate his primary school while he still dealt with bullying, however, having being deemed such an easy target. Thought his best friend Arthur often stuck up for him and did his best to protect him, he couldn't be with him constantly. Shortly after the start of Year Six, a boy Ezra had never even spoken to punched him in the stomach, taking him by surprise, and attempted to beat him up. Ezra, however, was skilled in karate by this point, and surprised the other boy by holding his own and quickly sending him to the floor, though he later became upset about the altercation. The rest of his time at St. Woboldo's was spent focused on getting Ezra ready for the big change of going away to school, due to his various difficulties. Ezra, meanwhile, felt as though the world was passing him by in a blur. His little brother Charlie continued to suffer from serious and unexplained health problems, and Ezra did his best to fade into the background, though this was not difficult with so many younger siblings who required their parents' attention. Ezra had been not without his own health problems, however, and in November 2100 a healer noted his apparently worsening lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity, and began investigating the possibility of his having coeliac disease. Family Immediate Family * Mother: Rebecca Olivia Upstead (née Parker) * Father: Jacob Dale Upstead (b. 31st August 2056) * Half-brother: Daxton Xavier Prince (b. 13th December 2075) ** Nephew: Angelo Milano Evans (b. 21st November 2094) * Sibling: Xanthe Nemesis Upstead (b. 1st April 2088, 07:32) * Sister: Pax Calypso Upstead (b. 1st April 2088, 07:37) * Brother: Jonah Riley Upstead (b. 15th October 2093, 13:34, ad. 3rd March 2097) * Brother: Jackson Ryder Upstead (b. 15th October 2093, 13:41, ad. 3rd March 2097) * Brother: Hunter Silas Upstead (b. 31st August 2099, 23:56) * Sister: Leigh Harper Upstead (b. 31st August 2099, 23:57) * Brother: Mason Elijah Upstead (b. 31st August 2099, 23:59) * Brother: Charlie George Upstead (b. 1st September 2099, 00:00) Accolades, Achievements, and Qualifications Karate (shotokan) * Orange belt - December 2095 (age 5) * Red belt - June 2096 (age 5) * Yellow belt - December 2096 (age 6) * Green belt - September 2097 (age 7) * Purple belt - September 2098 (age 8) * Purple belt (white stripe) - December 2099 (age 9) * Brown belt - December 2100 (age 10)Category:Characters Category:Half-Blood Category:Class of 2108 Category:Primary School Student Category:Second generation